Iranian Journal of Forest

Iranian Journal of Forest

Assessment of Changes in Soil Biological Properties and Their Effects on the Structure of Persian Oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) Stands in the Zagros Forests (Case Study: Ghalajeh Forests, Kermanshah Province)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
N soleymani 1
K Abrarivajari 2
M Pourreza 3
1 Ph.D. student of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Forestry Dept. of Natural Resources Faculty, Lorestan University, khoramabad. Iran.
2 Prof., Dept. of Forestry, Forestry Dept. of Natural Resources Faculty, Lorestan University, khoramabad, Iran.
3 Assistant Prof., Dept. of Forestry, Forestry Department of Natural Resources Faculty, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
10.22034/ijf.2026.556918.2083
Abstract
Introduction: The study of forest soils in ecology and silviculture is particularly important due to the critical role of soil in the biological, physical, and chemical processes of forest ecosystems. Soil, as the primary substrate for the growth of trees and other plants, greatly influences forest health, biodiversity, and sustainability. Detailed investigation of forest soil characteristics can enhance understanding of the interactions between soil, plants, and other living organisms, providing guidelines for more effective forest management.
This research aimed to investigate some key properties influencing soil biological processes, to identify differences and similarities among them in Persian oak stands, and to examine the relationships of these important properties with the structural characteristics of protected forests in the Ghalajeh mountainous region of Kermanshah Province.
Materials and Methods: Three types of forest Coppice stand, Coppice – High stand, and High stand—were randomly selected. In each stand, three one-hectare plots were sampled. Within each plot, structural characteristics of all trees and sprout clump were recorded, including species name, growth form, and number of shoots, diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, dominant shoot height, and two perpendicular crown diameters. “Then, in order to examine the effects of competition, in each sample plot, 10 target trees and adjacent trees with the minimum distance between them were selected, and all their structural attributes were recorded. To obtain soil characteristics, four soil samples were taken from the four cardinal directions of each competing tree up to a depth of 15 cm, and then combined. Accordingly, 30 composite samples were prepared for each stand and a total of 90 samples for all stands, which were then transferred to the laboratory. The competition index for the target and neighboring trees was calculated using the Hegyi method. Organic carbon was measured using the Walkley and Black method, bulk density using the cylinder method, microbial respiration using the closed-jar method, and microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were determined using the fumigation method. To compare the stands in terms of soil biological properties, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied. The relationships between variables were eated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and Duncan’s multiple range test at the 5% significance level was used for grouping the stands.
Results: The results showed that soil organic carbon in the Coppice stand stand (3.28%) was significantly higher than in other stand types. The mean bulk density in Coppice, Coppice – High stand, and High stands was 1.31, 1.4, and 1.41 g/cm³, respectively. The amounts of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were 169.3, 176, and 158.9 mg C/kg soil, microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) was 44.18, 113, and 83.37 mg N/kg soil, and microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) was 12.7, 15, and 8.82 mg P/kg soil, respectively. Soil microbial respiration was 0.172, 0.16, and 0.129 mg CO₂/g soil, and soil carbon sequestration was 643, 468.01, and 391.8 kg/ha for them, respectively. ANOVA results indicated significant differences among Persian oak stands. Analysis of correlations between key forest structural parameters and soil biological properties showed that their interactions varied among stands.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the biological properties of soil in Persian oak forest stands show significant differences. These differences may arise from variations in stand characteristics, including tree morphology, sprout-group structure, and differing silvicultural systems. The assessment of structural attributes further revealed that the influence of these factors varies according to the ecological nature of each stand. For example, in seed-origin and seed–sprout-origin stands, soil organic carbon was significantly affected by tree crown area, whereas in coppice stands, no significant relationship was observed between these variables.
Keywords
Hegyi competition index
Persian oak
Soil biological properties
Stand structure
Zagros forest
 Akhavan, R., Khanhasani, M., & Khodakarami, Y. (2018). Spatial patterns and inter-specific competition of three oak species in the Baneh forests of western Iran. Forest and Wood Products, 71(2), 149-159. (In Persian)
Asghari, K., Jalilvand, H., & Asadi, H. (2023). The impact of reforestation with broad-leaved and coniferous species on soil properties and carbon storage (Case study: Kolet Forest). Environmental Sciences, 21(4), 99-112.‌ (In Persian)
Bagheri, S., Zare-Maivan, H., Heydari, M., & Kazempour Osaloo, S. (2020). Relationship between broadleaved mixed forest understory species groups with soil and elevation in a semi-arid Persian oak (Quercus brantii L.) ecosystem. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 18(2), 157-170. (In Persian)
Balabandi, H., Abrari Vajari, K., & Shabanian, N. (2024). Effects of different silvicultural systems on oil characteristic indices of beech (Fagus orientalis L.) forest stands (Case study: Alandan forest, Mazanrdan). Journal of Plant Ecosystem Conservation, 12(24), 136-150.‌ (In Persian)
Bazgir, M., Menati, T., Rostaminya, M., & Mahdavi, A. (2020). Soil microbial biomass and activity of oak forest in three different regions in Ilam province. Journal of Sol Biology, 8(2), 155-164. (In Persian)
Brady, N.C., & Weil, R. (2010). Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils. 3rd Edition, Pearson Education Inc, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 396-420.
Brookes, P., Pewlson, D., & Jenkinson, D. (1984). Phosphorus in the soil microbial biomass. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 16(2), 169-175.32.
Bugmann, H. (1997). Sensitivity of forest in the european Alps to future climatic change. Climate Research, 8, 35-44.
Cotrufo, M.F., Wallenstein, M.D., Boot, C.M., Denef, K., & Paul, E. (2013). The M icrobial E fficiency‐M atrix S tabilization (MEMS) framework integrates plant litter decomposition with soil organic matter stabilization: do labile plant inputs form stable soil organic matter. Global change biology, 19(4), 988-995.
Davidson, E., & Janssen, L. (2006). Temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition and feedbacks to climate change. Nature, 440(7081), 165-173. ‌
Demir, M., Makineci, E., & Yilmaz, E. (2007). Investigation of timber harvesting impacts on herbaceous cover, forest floor and surface soil properties on skid road in an oak (Quercus petrea L.) stand. Building and Environment, 42(3), 1194-1199.
Esfandiari, H., Sefidi, K., Ghavidel, A., Esmaeilpour, M., Amanzadeh, B., & Sadeghi, S.M.M. (2023). Effect of forestry practices on the biological characteristics of soils (Case study: Beech Forest of Asalem). Water and Soil Management and Modeling, 3(4), 16-28.‌ (In Persian)
Farooq, T.H., Chen, X., Shakoor, A., Rashid, M.H.U., Kumar, U., Alhomrani, M., & Yan, W. (2022). Unraveling the importance of forest structure and composition driving soil microbial and enzymatic responses in the subtropical forest soils. Forests, 13(10), 1535. ‌
Hegyi, F. (1974). A simulation model for managing jack-pine stands. In: Fries, J. (Ed.), Growth Models for Tree and Stand Simulation. Royal College of Forestry, Stockholm, 74–90P.
Jenkinson, D.S., & Powlson, D.S. (1976). The effects of biocidal treatments on metabolism in soil—V: A method for measuring soil biomass. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 8(3), 209-213.
Jobbagy, E., & Jackson, R. (2000). The vertical distribution of soil organic carbon and its relation to climate and vegetation. Ecological Applications, 10(2), 423-436.
Habashi, H. (2015). Microbial respiration and microbial biomass C relationship with soil organic matter in different types of mixed beech forest. Forest Research and Development, 1(2), 135-114. (In Persian)
Hamzeh'ee, B., Khanhasani, M.S., Khodakarami, Y., & Peykani, M.N. (2008). Floristic and phytosociological study of Chaharzebar forests in Kermanshah. Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 16(2), 211-229. (In Persian)
Hans, p. (2009). Forest dynamics, growth and yield, 671p.
Haidari, M., Teimouri, M., Pourhashemi, M., & Alizadeh, T. (2022). Study Changes in Biological Indicators in Forest Stands with Different Structure in Kurdistan Province. Ecology of Iranian Forest, 10(20), 64-72. (In Persian)
Hernandez, R., Koohafkan, P., & Antoine, J. (2004). Assessing Carbon Stocks and modeling win-win Scenarios of carbon sequestration through land-use change, 166p.
Hedley, M. J., Stewart, J. W. B., & Chauhan, B. S. (1982). Changes in inorganic and organic soil phosphorus fractions induced by cultivation practices and by laboratory incubations. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 46(5), 970-976.‏
Hegyi, F. (1974). A simulation model for managing jack-pine stands. In: Fries, J. (Ed.), Growth Models for Tree and Stand Simulation. Royal College of Forestry, Stockholm, 74–90P.
Jangid, K., Williams, M.A., Franzluebbers, A.J., Schmidt, T.M., Coleman, D.C., & Whitman, W.B. (2011). Land-use history has a stronger impact on soil microbial community composition than aboveground vegetation and soil properties. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 43(10), 2184–2193.
Johnson, D.W., & Curtis, P.S. (2001). Effects of forest management on soil C and N storage: meta analysis. Forest Ecology and Management, 140, 227-238.
Kooch, Y., & Feizabadi, M.T. (2018). Study on soil detritivors and microbial activity in understory of broad-leaved pure and mixed stands in Caspian forests.‌ Iranian Journal of Forest, 10(1), 89-100. (In Persian)
Lang, A.K., LaRue, E.A., Kivlin, S.N., Edwards, J.D., Phillips, R.P., Gallion, J., & Fei, S. (2023). Forest structural diversity is linked to soil microbial diversity. Ecosphere, 14(11), 1-16.
Paul, E.A. (2014). Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry (4th Edition). Academic Press.
Maleki, S., Pilehvar, B., & Mahmoodi, M.A. (2023). Response of soil microbial respiration to environmental factors of temperature and moisture in five forest types of Zagros (case study: Armardeh Baneh forests). Forest Research and Development, 9(2), 275-289P. (In Persian)
Mazaheri, M., & Bazgir, M. (2019). The effect of climate and land uses on soil microbial biomass and activities. ‌ Iranian Journal of Forest, 11(2), 179-194. (In Persian)
Mehrnoosh, S., Beheshti Ale Agha, A., Rakhsh, F., Pourreza, M., & Safari Sinegani, A.A. (2022). Comparison of soil biological activity in forest with coniferous and broadleaf trees in Biston region of Kermanshah. Water and Soil, 36(5), 593-610.‌ (In Persian)
Meurisse, R.T., Robbie, W.A., Niehoff, J., & Ford, G. (1991). Dominant soil formation processes and properties in western-montane forest types and landscapes—some implications for productivity and management. Proceedings—management and productivity of western-montane forest soils. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-280. Ogden, UT: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, 7-19.
Mirzaei, J., Seidi, F., Sobhan Ardakani, S., & Bazgir, M. (2013). Effects of native and exotic tree plantation on carbon sequestration at arid areas of Zagros region (Case study: Abgarm forest park, Dehloran). Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 21(3), 506-516. (In Persian)
Namirian, M., Maleknia, R., & Faghei, J. (2009). Investigation of factors affecting the spatial distribution of coppice and seed-origin forest stands in traditional forestry of the Central Zagros (Case study: customary management systems of Sarableh and Cheshmeh Khazaneh, Ilam Province). Journal of Forest and Wood Products, Faculty of Natural Resources, 62(4), 429–441. (In Persian)
Paul, E.A. (2014). Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry (4th Edition). Academic Press.
Pourhashemi, M. (2015). Structural characteristics of oak coppice stands of Marivan Forests. Journal of Plant Research (Iranian Journal of Biology), 27(5), 766-776.‌ (In Persian)
Prescott, C.E., & Grayston, S.J. (2013). Tree species influence on microbial communities in litter and soil: current knowledge and research needs. Forest Ecology and Management, 309, 19–27.
Prescott, C.E. (2010). Litter decomposition: what controls it and how can we alter it to sequester more carbon in forest soils. Biogeochemistry, 101, 133–149.
Rafiee Jazi, F., Habashi, H., & Rahmani, R. (2021). Annual variability of soil, microbial, and root respiration rates in a mixed oriental beech-hornbeam stand (Case study: Shast-Kalateh forest of Gorgan). Forest and Wood Products, 74(1), 43-55.‌ (In Persian)
Samadi, B., Rezaei, A., & Valizadeh, M. (2004). Statistical designs in agricultural research. Tehran, Iran, 764p. (In Persian)
Sparling, G.P., & West, A.W. (1988). A direct extraction method to estimate soil microbial C: calibration in situ using microbial respiration and 14C labelled cells. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 20(3), 337-343.
Soleymani, N., Abrarivajaari, K., & Pourreza, M. (2025). Eation of competition and structural characteristics of trees and sprout clump crown in Iranian oak stands (Quercus brantii Lindl Var.persica) Zagros forests (case study of Kalaje forests, Kermanshah province). Journal of Plant Ecosystem Conservation, 12(25) 1-17. (In Persian)
Teimouri, M., Alizadeh, T., Iranmanesh, Y., Sadgezdeh Hallaj, M.H., & Pourhashemi, M. (2023). The eation of changes in the chemical and biological properties of soil in Brant's oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) forests of Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari Province, Iran. Iranian Journal of Forest & Poplar Research, 31(1).‌ (In Persian)
Vance, E.D., Brookes, P.C., & Jenkinson, D.S. (1987). An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 19(6), 703-707.
Vesterdal, L., Clarke, N., Sigurdsson, B., & Gundersen, P. (2013). Do tree species influence soil carbon stocks in temperate and boreal forests. Forest Ecology and Management, 309(1), 4-18.
Walkley, A., & Black, I.A. (1934). An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science, 37(1), 29-38.
Wardle, D.A. (2006). The influence of biotic interactions on soil biodiversity. Ecology Letters, 9(7), 870–886.
Ungaro, F., Maienza, A., Ugolini, F., Lanini, G.M., Baronti, S., & Calzolari, C. (2022). Assessment of joint soil ecosystem services supply in urban green spaces: A case study in Northern Italy. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 67, 127455.
Iranian Journal of Forest
Volume 18, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
Autumn 2026
Pages 201-217

  • Receive Date 09 July 2025
  • Revise Date 25 October 2025
  • Accept Date 21 December 2025